Machines for counting and stacking tiles or other products



April 7, 1964 T. L. CARTER 3,127,820

- MACHINES FOR commune AND STACKING TILES OR OTHER PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Tf/P/PY L. CARTER A TTOR/VE Y T. L. CARTER April 7, 1964 MACHINES FOR COUNTING AND STACKING TILES OR OTHERPRODUCTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll- A TTOANEY INVENTOR. TERRY Z. CARTER BY I Filed Jan. 23, 1963 T. L. CARTER April 7, 1964 MACHINES FOR COUNTING AND STACKING TILES OR OTHER PRODUCTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 23, 1963 INVENTOR Tfkk) L. CARTER ATTO/P/VE) mm w pm A ril 7, 1964 T. L. CARTER MACHINES FOR COUNTING AND STACKING TILES OR OTHER PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR TERRY L. CAETER A TTO/PNE Y April 7, 1964 CARTER 3,127,820

MACHINES FOR QOUNTING AND STACKING' TILES 0R OTHER PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 23, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 CONVEYOI? M 7 BY mass can.

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A TTORNE) United States Patent 3,127,820 MACHINES FOR COUNTING AND STACKING TILES OR OTHER PRODUCTS Terry L. Carter, Box 75, Glen Road, Sparta, NJ. Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,313 1 Claim. (Cl. 93-93) The invention herein disclosed relates to the counting and stacking of commercial products, such as floor tiles.

General objects of the invention are to provide simple, practical, efficient machines for such purposes.

Particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a counting and stacking machine which will cooperate with the production machinery in a manner to aid and expedite operation of the same.

In the manufacture of tiles, as an example, the tiles are usually cut from the sheet material so that they issue from the production machinery in a number of rows.

The counting and stacking of the tiles issuing in these closely spaced multiple rows necessarily introduces certain complications and difiiculties.

One particular objection has been that in the event of failure in any one row of such production the machine has had to be shut down, with the consequent loss of production of all the other rows. It is an important object of the present invention to avoid such losses and to keep production going in the other rows while a fault in any one of the rows is being corrected.

These objects are attained in this invention by providing an individual and independent counter and stacker unit for each production row and by constructing and arranging these units so that, in the event of a fault de veloping, the unit for any row can be taken out of line and be quickly replaced by a duplicate unit.

In making such a changeover the tiles which continue to be delivered from the row at fault are diverted to a receiver for rework or for temporarily holding storage, while the substitution of the machine at fault is being effected.

A special advantage of having a separate and completely independent machine for each row is the overcoming of the difficult and frequent problem of overlapping of the tiles in the supply, either between rows or within any row.

Since the machines are independent they can be arranged in a fanned out manner, thus in effect pulling the rows apart to separate laps or drop lapped tiles off the belts between the machines.

In practice the infeed belts of the machines are operated at faster speed than the tile supply so that laps within the row are separated.

Another feature of the individual row machines is that of bypassing so that an operator may inspect and separate unaccepted tiles from any row or part of a row or any number of rows simultaneously, thus to feed to the counters only those tiles desired and this without having to manually remove the faulty tiles.

Another important feature of these machines is the combining of the bypassing conveyors with the count feed conveyor. The fanned arrangement of the units permits the use of extra long and flexible guide wings for these combination conveyors and the flexibility and wider spacing of these guide wings serves the better to guide unaligned tiles into closely controlled stack dimensions with- 3,127,820 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 out jamming such as would occur with closely spaced row mechanisms.

Other important objects and features of the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention but it will be appreciated that structure may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a diagrammatic plan view of a commercial installation, showing five of the counters and stackers lined up with the five rows of tiles issuing as the tile production line.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation, showing one of the counting and stacking units cooperatively disposed at the end of a tile line. In this view the infeeding conveyor which takes the tiles off the production line is shown in lowered position to take tiles off this line, with broken lines showing how this conveyor can be lifted to drop oncoming tiles onto a conveyor for scrap tiles.

FIG. 3 is a broken side elevation on a larger scale of the infeeding end of the counter, with broken lines illustrating the elevator at the inner end of the infeeding conveyor, which elevator after count of the desired number of tiles lowers the counted stack onto an outfeeding conveyor for transferring the stack to a final position ready for removal from the machine.

FIG. 3a is a broken continuation of the right hand end of the machine shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a right hand end elevation of that portion of the machine shown in FIG. 3a.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged broken part sectional view on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 3, illustrating the drive connections for the conveyor belts.

FIG. 6 is a broken plan view of the elevator and the end portion of the infeeding conveyor at the elevator. In this view also the photocell for actuating the counter is indicated at the approach of this conveyor to the elevator.

FIG. 7 is a broken, vertical sectional view of the portions of the machine shown in FIG. 6 as on substantially the plane of line 7-7 of FIG. 6. In this view the elevator is shown dropped to lower a completed stack onto the outfeeding conveyor and the cutoff fork projected to catch the tiles fed to the elevator while this transposition is taking place.

FIG. 8 is a broken, vertical sectional view of the ele vator and related parts, showing the elevator raised to the position of receiving the tiles from the infeeding conveyor.

FIG. 9 is the complete electrical diagram for power ing and controlling one counter-stacking machine.

In the diagrammatic views, FIGS. 1 and 2, five rows of tiles 10 are shown, forming the output of a tile production machine or plant.

These five lines of tile are shown advanced by a belt conveyor 11 designed and arranged to deliver all five rows to mechanism for counting and stacking the tiles in predetermined order.

In this invention a counter and stacker is provided for each row or line of tiles, consisting of an infeeding conveyor 12, designed to take the tiles off the delivery line and to transfer them one after another into a well 13 at the inner end of the conveyor and containing an elevator 14 which will lower a counted stack 15 of the tiles onto an outfeeding conveyor 16 designed to transmit the stack to a position of destination or delivery at 17.

These counters and stackers are indicated as independent and duplicate machines so that any one may be substituted for another and these are shown in FIG. 1 as arranged in fanned out relation at the end of the tile production lines on diverging tracks 13, FIG. 2, enabling them to be quickly shifted into and out of cooperating relation at the ends of the production lines.

To hold them accurately in alignment the tracks 18 are shown in FIG. 4 as reversely positioned angles and the casters 18 on the machines, which ride the tracks, as V-grooved rollers. Stops may be provided to locate and hold the counters in proper cooperating position on the tracks.

Plain casters, without tracks may be used when lateral position adjustment is desired to accommodate varying row positions from the supply.

The elevator 14 is controlled from an electronic counter 20, FIG. 3A, located in the closed cabinet portion 21 of the machine and which counter is in turn actuated and controlled from a photocell 22, FIG. 3, beneath the inner end of the infeeding conveyor.

The infeeding conveyor 12 is carried by a frame 23 in the nature of a beam, pivoted at the inner end on the shaft 24 and arranged to be lifted as shown in broken lines, above the line of travel of the tiles and thus to drop tiles on the feed line onto a conveyor 25 to carry away such tiles as scrap.

Lifting of the infeeding conveyor to effect bypassing of tiles to the scrap conveyor is accomplished in the illustration by an air cylinder 26 having a piston rod 27 connected with the conveyor frame.

Similarly the elevator 14 is operated by an air cylinder 28 having a piston rod 29 connected with the elevator platform.

Drive of both the conveyors is effected from a single gear motor 30, FIG. 3, operating a chain 31 trained over a sprocket gear 32, FIG. 5, on the shaft 24 which'carries spaced V-grooved pulleys 33, 34 for the V belts 35, 36 forming the upper, infeeding conveyor and sprocket 37 for a chain 38 running to a sprocket 39 on the shaft 40 carrying V-grooved pulleys 41, 42 for the V belts 43, 44 forming the lower, outfeeding conveyor.

The upper shaft 24 is utilized in this instance as the pivotal support for the infeeding conveyor by having bracket extensions 45 of the conveyor frame 23 pivotally engaged thereon as shown in FIG. 8.

The V-belts 35, 36 of the upper conveyor are shown running over a bed 46 having a window 47, FIGS. 6 and at the inner end for the photocell 22.

Similarly the V-belts 43, 44 of the lower conveyor are shown running over a supporting bed structure 48 which is open at the center, as indicated at 49, FIGS. 6 and 7, between the belts for clearance of the elevator 14.

The elevator lowers to a position slightly below the level of the belts, as shown in FIG. 7, thus to leave the stack which it has just collected resting on the belts and thus ready to be taken away by these belts.

FIG. 8 illustrates the normal counting and stacking action, with the elevator in raised position and the tiles being advanced and stacked one on top of the other on the elevator.

When a count is completed, as determined by the photocell 22 and electronic counter 26, circuits are controlled to effect the lowering of the elevator to the FIG. 7 position to deposit the completed stack 15 onto the outfeeding conveyor belts 43, 44 and at or approximately the same time cutoff mechanism is actuated to catch and hold the tiles still being fed into the elevator well.

This cutoff device is shown in the form of a fork 50 having side bars 51, 52 supported on rotary ball bearings 53, 54 on shaft 24, FIG. 5.

The cutoff fork 50 is shown as actuated by an air cyl- 4 inder 55, FIG. 3, under the conveyor frame 23 having a piston rod 56, FIG. 7, connected with the fork.

While the tiles are being stacked on the elevator the cutoff fork 50, 51, 52 is retracted as shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 8. The side bars 51, 52 forming the tines of this fork are located at the outer sides of the upper conveyor belt pulleys 33, 34, FIG. 5, so as to provide wide support for any tiles reaching the elevator well before the elevator has finished depositing the completed stack on the outfeeding conveyor and the stack has been shifted clear of the elevator well.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the bottom of the elevator well as being fully open at 57 for a height somewhat greater than the height of a completed stack.

A guard 58 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and 8 extending from the inner end of conveyor bed 46 down into the elevator well for guiding the tiles into position on the ele vator and rubber strips 59 are shown at the forward end of the well for cushioning the entry of the tiles.

The counted stack of tiles deposited by the elevator on the outfeeding conveyor is advanced by this conveyor onto a downwardly inclined roller conveyor 60 which then carries the stack on to the final stop 17, FIG. 3a, from where it may be lifted and placed in a carton 61, FIG. 2 on a conveyor 62 above and extending trans versely across the several counters and stackers.

This removal of the counted stack by hand has the advantage that the counting and stacking unit is left free of connection with other mechanisms but instead of removal of the stacks by hand the counted stacks may be deposited in cartons or be directed to suitable packers or the like.

Convergently inclined flexible guide wings are shown at 63, FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, for directing the tiles in a straight line to the elevator. These guides may be made as integral continuations of the side walls 63a of the box or well in which the elevator operates, or be independently affixed thereto.

.Control buttons or switches 67, FIGS. 3a and 4a, on the outer end of the unit provide necessary starting, stopping, bypassing and clearing features of control.

In general use of the invention each individual counter and stacker can be started and stopped independently of other units, usually by an operator stationed at the outer end of the unit. One such operator may control all five of the units.

Additionally it is the usual practice to have supervisory control enabling instant control of all five of the units, thus to enable stopping, starting or tripping of all five units at once.

Each unit can be tripped by lifting the receiving end of the infeeding conveyor to the dotted line position shown in FIG, 3 to bypass tiles to the scrap or rework conveyor 25, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

To insure passage of such tiles to the scrap conveyor an inclined guide 68 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 extending from the main delivery conveyor down to the scrap conveyor 25.

In the construction shown, each counter and stacker is a relatively narrow elongated unit no wider than the tiles and which can be located in the side by side relation necessary to take the tiles in the closely adjoining rows delivered by the production machinery.

Each counter is a separately powered unit making it independent of other mechanism and enabling it to be put into service by one simple electrical connection with a power source and one connection with a compressed air supply.

Many diiferent kinds of products may be handled by the counters and stackers dis closed.

Any one or any number of the units may be used as conditions require.

These portable, individual counting and stacking units avoid the complication necessarily involved where a single machine is made to simultaneously count and stack the products of all rows of the production equipment. And they have the important advantage that if production fails on any one line production is not lost but goes on in the other, remaining lines.

While a photocell type counter signal is illustrated it will be appreciated other forms of counter signal pickups may be employed and that other such changes may be made, within the contemplation and scope of the invention.

The relatively soft vertical strips 59 are spaced in the stack building compartment so that the tiles impinge only at two points on their front edges about one inch or so from the corners so that the corners do not contact. This feature is important as corner damage to tiles handled by automatic machinery has always been a problem.

The invention provides the straight flow of individual tiles and accumulated stacks enabling simple in line construction of the machine and simpler arrangement in the manufacturing plant where it is desired to keep production in line.

Another advantage of the invention is that during the entire cycle of feeding, counting, stacking and discharging the stacks, the tiles lie on top only of belts and elevator and do not pass between or under belts or rollers which might cause jams and would need adjustment for production changes in tile thickness With this mechanical arrangement no adjustment is needed to change from one tile thickness to another, thus saving valuable production time.

Both tile and stack belts operate continuously at higher speeds than required for maximum infeed, the catch fingers and elevator operate only by count control, so no timing or synchronization with the supply or stopping between counts is necessary. This avoids any need for such items as clutches, brakes and timing mechanism and by such simplification materially increases useful life of the machines.

The functions of the machine are sequential in nature, occurring in the following order:

(1) Tiles feeding into any counter-stacker pass over the registering photocell 47 which signals each count to the electronic counter 20.

The electronic counter is preset for the desired number of tiles per stack.

(2) When the count reaches required stack quantity, the electronic counter operates momentarily relay F (contacts only shown).

(3) Relay F operates relay H-relay H locks up through its contact H(a) and the stack clear limit switch (normally closed).

(4) Operation of relay H, opens the normally closed contact H(a) which was powering the elevator up thus sending the elevator down with the completed stack.

(5) At the same time, operation of relay H closes the normally open contacts H(b), thus sending the catch fingers forward to temporarily accumulate any tiles being counted while the elevator is discharging a stack.

(6) As soon as the elevator leaves its top position, the elevator up limit switch 64 closes, thus holding the fingers forward until the elevator returns to top position.

(7) When the elevator reaches the bottom position, the tile stack rides off on the stack discharge belts. The discharging stack, when clear of the elevator, actuates the stack clear limit switch 64A, which breaks the circuit holding H relay.

(8) Return of H relay to normal, returns the elevator to full up position.

(9) Return of elevator to up position releases the elevator up limit, thus permitting the fingers to retract and drop Whatever tiles have been counted onto the elevator platform.

(10) Cycle repeats when counter again registers the required quantity of tiles for the next stack.

Supply of tiles can be either regular or intermittent.

The elevator up limit switch 64 and stack clear limit switch 64A are shown in physical location of FIGS. 7 and 8, with switch 64 controlled by cooperating parts 65, 66 on the switch and elevator.

What is claimed is:

A machine for counting and stacking tiles or other products, comprising a narrow elongated portable carriage of approximately the width of the products to be counted, in unitary form shiftable for positioning at the end of a row of products issuing from a supply line,

an infeeding conveyor carried by and projecting from one end of said carriage for taking off the products of one row issuing from the supply line,

an outfeeding conveyor on said carriage below and at the inner end of said infeeding conveyor,

a motor on the carriage below and connected to drive said conveyors,

an elevator on the carriage at the inner end of said infeeding conveyor and arranged to operate up through said outfeeding conveyor,

a stationary stacking enclosure at the inner end of said infeeding conveyor, above said elevator and extending downward toward said outfeeding conveyor to a point above the height of a stack to be accumulated on the elevator and whereby said outfeeding conveyor may remove a stack of products from below said stacking enclosure,

said elevator having movement between an upper position within said stacking enclosure and a lower position below said outfeeding conveyor,

a cutoff fork beneath the inner end portion of said infeeding conveyor and projectible past the inner end of said conveyor into position above the elevator for receiving products delivered by said conveyor,

means for counting products delivered by said infeeding conveyor,

means controlled by said counting means for effecting projection of said cutoff fork when a predetermined number of tiles has been accumulated on the elevator andfor retracting said cutoff fork after a stack has been discharged from the elevator and the eleva tor has risen to a position within the stacking enclosure,

means controlled by said counting means for effecting the lowering of the elevator when a stack of a predetermined number of products has been accumulated on the elevator and for raising the elevator after a completed stack has been deposited on the outfeeding conveyor by the lowering of said elevator in respect to said outfeeding conveyor,

said infeeding conveyor, cutoff fork, elevator and outfeeding conveyor, all being in alignment and along with the motor all within the narrow confines of the carriage, and whereby the carriage forming a self-powered unit may be located in line with ony one of a number of rows of products oif a supply line or a number of such units be located in closely adjoining side by side relation at the end of a number of such supply lines, and whereby a plurality of such powered units in such close side by side relation may be arranged in fanned out relation at their delivery ends,

the infeeding and the outfeeding conveyors having parallel drive shafts at the inner ends of the same spaced in parallel relation one above the other,

gearing connecting said upper and lower drive shafts for operating them in unison,

drive gearing from said motor to one of said shafts,

the infeeding conveyor including a supporting frame pivotally mounted on said upper shaft and enabling said infeeding conveyor to be pivotally shifted to align said conveyor with the supply products or to the cutoifforkbeing mounted on said pivoted frame of the infeeding conveyor,

bearings on said upper shaft in alignment with the cutoff fork and said cutoif fork being in riding engagement on said bearings and therebysupported by said bearings on said upper shaft when projected in position over the elevator,

all of said elements described being housed within the confines of said narrow carriage and flexible convergently disposed tile guides at opposite edges of the infeeding conveyor positioned at the approach of .saidconveyor to the stacking enclosure,

at the inner end of said conveyor for eifecting alignment of. tiles reaching the elevator and'cutoif fork.

References Cited in the file of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,142,243 Greenwood et al J an. 3, 1939 2,424,093 Harred July 15, 1947 2,540,972 Wagner et al Feb. 6, 1951 2,606,483 Forbes Aug. 12, 1952 2,761,682 Buccicone Sept. 4, 1956 2,772,612 Feick et a1. Dec. 4," 1956 2,799,212 Taylor July 16, 1957 

